Gary David's (Co-Founder of Film Junkeez) Top 5 movies of 2012 & Top 5 anticipated movies of 2013

Top 5 of 2012

1. Argo

I think it is official that we can now consider Ben Affleck to be a legitimate director. In 2007 he gave us Gone Baby Gone and then two years ago delivered big time with The Town. This year he upped the ante with Argo, a thriller about an undercover CIA operation involving rescuing hostages in Iran under the guise of a movie production, and my pick for the best film of the year. Argo is what you get when you mix a heavy dose of drama and suspense and throw in some action and a bit of comedy; all key ingredients for a great film. There is a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding this movie and in my opinion all of it is justified.






2. Marley

The first thing I have to say is if yo are not a fan of documentaries this may not be for you. The second thing I have to say is if you are not a fan of documentaries watching Marley may convert you. My choice for the second best film of the year is this excellent film about the life of reggae legend Bob Marley by director Kevin MacDonald. If tells the story of his life from his birth in a small Jamaica settlement, to stardom, through his battle with cancer, and everything in between. Complete with great interviews, archival footage, and an appropriate soundtrack filled with Marley's music this is a must watch.





 
3. 21 Jump Street

2012 may go down as the year of Channing Tatum but if you only see one of his 367 releases from this year make it 21 Jump Street. A remake/reboot/resurrection of the old TV show this comedy, also starring Jonah Hill, takes two youthful looking cops and places them undercover in a high school in order to stop a new lethal drug from spreading. As you guessed, nothing goes as panned and there are a lot of laughs a long the way. A sequel is already in development.








4. The Hunger Games

When it came down to having a fun time at the cinema this year checking out The Hunger Games would've been a good bet. The movie as literally everything: action, suspense, romance, laughter, mystery, etc.; and there are three more on the way! The movie follows Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, as she journeys from her small mining settlement to the nation's capital to compete to the death in a survival competition in a dystopian future. We watch her go through many emotions as she must train to kill while not losing her senses and be true to herself. And with the way this one ends we know the next three films will have many more trials in store for Katniss.





5. The Dark Knight Rises

After the huge success of The Dark Knight many wondered is Christopher Nolan and Co. could pull off another Batman flick on such a high level. And while I don't think they quite got there coming in a close second the previous installment is nothing to fret about. In The Dark Knight Rises we watch as the Caped Crusader is forced to will himself out of a self imposed social exile/retirement in order to save Gotham from terrorist, save his company from collapse, and save himself from deep depression. With some great action sequences and excellent supporting performances by Anne Hathaway (Catwoman) and Tom Hardy (Bane) you get everything you expect from this rebooted franchise and more.

Top 5 Most Anticipated of 2013

1. Gangster Squad

Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Mackie, and Michael Peña make out the star studded cast of this noir styled crime film. Set in LA, it tells the story of a group of police detectives doing everything it takes to keep the East Coast Mafia out of the city.

Release Date: January 11, 2013







2. The Great Gatsby

Baz Luhrmann is back and attempting to get his reputation back after 2008's Australia and can anyone think of a better way to do it than get Leo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey McGuire, Isla Fisher, and Amitabh Bachchan to bring the Great American Novel to life. Though there have been big screen adaptations before none of them were done in the spirit or grandeur that this book deserves and only Luhrmann and his cast will be able to do it justice.

Release Date: May 10, 2013






3. Man of Steel

After seeing all the praise and popularity he's seen his friends Batman, The Avengers, the X-Men, Spiderman, and even the Fantastic Four enjoy Superman has finally decided to get back into the movie game after his disappointing 2006 effort Superman Returns. This time around Henry Cavill will play the titular character and directing is the rising Zack Snyder. With Christopher Nolan having the role of producer fans and myself are hoping this film delivers on the level of the recent Dark Knight franchise.

Release Date: June 14, 2013





4. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Here we go again. After the events of the first film Katniss is back to prove that the love she shared with Peeta in the first installment was not a rouse to win the games all the while a rebellion seems to be brewing against the tyrannical capital. Throw in the fact that it is the upcoming 75th anniversary of the games, and in every 25 games the rules are thrown out the window, this looks to be a very challenging year for our young heroine.

Release Date: November 22, 2013
 





5. Oz the Great and Powerful

A prequel to the events that take place in 1939's The Wizard of Oz sees James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz tell the story of how the Wizard of Oz came to be. With Sam Raimi directing this Disney production expect this movie to look as vibrant and grand as it sounds. I have a feeling if this one does well we may see a sequel.

Release Date: March 8, 2013